~ The Fairies' Plan A - Part 14 - Rescuing the Princess
Phillip waited impatiently in the courtyard with Samson as the kings and men were preparing themselves. The Three Good Fairies came swooping down. "Oh, Phillip. We just heard. What happened?"
"I don't know. I woke up this morning and Aurora was missing, there was a blood trail that went over the balcony, and over the outer wall. We are going to try and pick up the trail once the kings and men are ready." Phillip stated tersely. The fairies exchanged looks.
"She may have gone back to the cottage. It is the one place we know she knows. We can lead you there." Flora said as the kings and their escort came out of the stables.
"Thank you. We'll follow the trail as long as we can, and then go to the cottage if we lose it." Philip said to the fairies.
"Leah's going to stay behind, set up a healing room and get the doctors ready for Aurora." Stefan said. Phillip nodded as the fairies made themselves tiny and flew up beside him.
Phillip called to the men around him. "We are going to follow the trail from outside the wall and wherever it leads. We don't know why she has left. Maleficent may be dead," the fairies nodded at that, "but some of her minions may have escaped and taken her. Stay alert."
Phillip and the fairies picked up the blood trail outside the walls of the castle the kings and soldiers following. Eventually, it led to the cottage.
"Rose, it's us, your aunts. We know you are hurt, can we help you?" called Flora as the fairies, Prince Phillip and the kings entered the cottage as the men milled around outside the little cottage.
Phillip thought he had been fairly close to this place when he travelled through the forest on his way to the castle.
As the fairies went upstairs, Phillip looked around. He was amazed that the walls were so beautifully painted, and wondered if his beloved bride had done it. There were dishes in the sink and there were open spaces that seemed to indicate things were missing.
"She's not here, and things are missing from her room." Flora said as they came down the stairs.
"So, where could she be?" asked Phillip, worriedly. Aurora was obviously running, but why? Her parents loved her. He loved her and was trying to do the best he could for her. Everyone loved her so much. Why would she be running away from love.
The fairies exchanged looks, but as Flora opened her mouth, the sound of dozens of wolves howling filled the glen. Phillip's hair stood on end as they all ran outside.
The howling was coming from all around them. The horses were stomping the ground in their fear. The soldiers were looking around as they tried to control their horses, a few had their weapons out.
"Rose!" called Flora, seeing the girl at the edge of the glen.
"What's wrong? Please, let us help you!" The fairies were rushing over to her.
Phillip spun around to see his bride. She was beautiful in a brown and black peasant dress, but she also looked very angry. Briar Rose opened her mouth and sang.
The forest exploded into chaos as animals burst from the bushes. Wolves slammed into the assembled men and horses, snarling and snapping, panicking the horses, making it hard for the men to fight. Phillip saw huge white unicorns appear and surround the fairies forcing them back and away from Aurora, deflecting the fairy magic with their horns.
Phillip leapt onto Samson's back. He had to save Aurora from the chaos. He ducked as eagles, owl and hawks joined the fray from above.
"Aurora, look out!" Phillip called as he saw a bear running up behind her. He urged Samson forward.
But the bear ignored the girl and ran straight at Phillip. The bear shouldered aside men and horses and ran straight at him and Samson. They were bowled over. Samson screamed as the claws ripped open his flank. Phillip struck at the bear, but the teeth cut off his shouts.
"Phillip!" King Hubert screamed. "Son! My boy!"
The girl who called herself Briar Rose nodded, Phillip would never hurt her again.
She stalked them as the men and fairies were driven from the forest.
From the edge of the forest she watched as they fled, with the bodies of the fallen. The forest was hers and she would keep it and herself safe.
~ Epilogue
Other expeditions were made to try to rescue the princess, but none were successful. They had seen the golden haired girl leading a pack of wolves, but she would not respond when called to. The forest creatures would swarm them and drive them from the forest. They gave up when King Stefan was grievously injured by wolves.
The fairies went into the forest to try to talk to Rose, but the unicorns kept them from the girl. They spent many days at the edge of the forest weeping bitter tears; for they loved Briar Rose but now she hated them.
Maleficent returned and did gleefully do great evil in the land. The fairies could not use their magic anymore, because they had brought sadness and death.
Princess Rapunzel came at the request of the queen, and sung to her fellow princess, but the forest princess would never come near or answer the questions in the songs.
The queen would often go to the edge of the forest to try to coax her daughter out, to come home, singing songs of love, but all she would see was her princess, her daughter, her baby, glaring back at her from the forest, surrounded by wolves and birds, a unicorn by her side, her wild hair blowing in the wind.
The prince had impregnated the princess and she bore healthy twins. In time, they grew up and came to know the secrets of the forest. Together they stood against the collapsing world, the forest was theirs and none could take it from them.
The forest was not safe for man.
Author's Note: Apparently not.
I dislike stories that end like this. It looks like Sleeping Beauty showed us the best case for a happy ending. Considering what she had to go through afterwards makes this really scary.
Aurora is not a weak little thing. She is incredibly strong. She is not like regular people, being raised by fairies and forest creatures would do that.
How interesting that whenever I poke at the variables in these stories all kinds of really bad things seem to end up happening.